Boiler-tube cleaner.



G. A. LUFKIN.

BOILER TUBE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, I916.

1,2Q5,230. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHhtTS-SHEET I.

Fig.1.

InvenTor. George A. Lufkin G. A. LUFKIN.

BOILER TUBE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I, 1916.

1,205,230, v Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- neoa'eso.

GEORGE A. L'UFKIN, {0F REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOILER-TUBE CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 11916.

Application filed April 1, 1916. Serial N o.' 88,226.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE A. LrIFKiN, a citizen of the United States, residing at' Revere, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Boiler-Tube Cleaners, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to boiler tube cleaners of that class involving a head having cutting disks "mounted thereon and which is adapted to be inserted into the boiler tube, and means to rotate the head, and the objects of the invention are to provide a novel device of this type which is easy to handle and manipulate in cleaning a boiler and which is effective in its operation.

in order to give an understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claim. 1

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of a boiler showing my improved boiler tube cleaner in use. Flg. 2 1s a front view of the supporting means for the operating engine or motor; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal view through the motor; Fig.

4 is a sectional view of the end of the shaft showing the handle swiveled thereto; Fig. 5 is a section on the line aa, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the head of the boiler tube cleaner; Fig. 7 is a section on the line 44, Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a front end view; Fig. 9 is a section on the line yy, Fig. 5; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the frames. j

The complete device comprises a head of a size to be inserted into a boiler tube and constructed to clean the scale from the boiler tube as it is rotated, a shaft to which said head is connected, a rotary engine or other motor for rotating the shaft, and means for adjustably supporting the motor so that the device can be'readily shifted from one boiler tube to another;

I have shown at in Fig! 1 a boiler having boiler tubes 51. The head of'my in1- proved boiler tube cleaner is shown generally at 52 in Fig. 1, and it is secured to a shaft 35 which is operatively connected to and rotated by a motor 53 herein shown as a rotarv engine. This motor includes in its construction a rotatable element 54 having a hollow sleeve 55 extending axially thereof and fast thereto. The shaft 35 of the boiler tube cleaner extends through this sleeve 55 and is provided with a key-way 56 in which operates a key 57 secured to the sleeve 55.

This construction provides for giving rotative movement to the shaft 35 while permitting the shaft to move axially of the rotary engine 53. The engine 53 is shown as adjustably mounted on a cross-bar 58 which in turn is adjustable vertically on two Suspender members 59 that are secured at their upper ends to brackets 60 secured to the boiler 50. For this purpose the cross bar 58 is provided at its end with guiding members 61 through which the suspenders 59 extend and which are slidable vertically on the suspenders. These guides 61 are provided with clamping devices 62 by which they may be clamped to the suspenders in any adjusted position. The engine 53 is mounted on the cross-bar 58 so that it can be moved longitudinally thereof, and for this purpose it is provided with the portion 63 which encircles the cross-bar 58, as shown in Fig. 3, and which'is permitted to slide longitudinally of the cross-bar. 64 is a clamping screw by which the rotary engine can be clamped in any adjusted position. Each end of the cross-bar 58 has connected thereto a flexible connection 66 which passes over direction pulleys 67 carried by the bracket 60 and to-which is suspended a counter-balancing Weight 65. These weights 65 serve to counterbalance the weight of the engine and cross-bar and thus facilitate the vertical adjustment thereof. With this arrangement the engine 53 can be readily adjusted into position opposite any one of the boiler tubes 51, and when in adjusted position it may be clamped and while the boiler tube is being cleaned. I

In the operation of cleaning the boiler tube, the end of the tube is uncovered, the head 52 is inserted into said tube, and the engine is set in operation thereby to rotate the shaft 35 and head. The shaft and head are then moved longitudinally of the tube so as to enable the cutter to operate on the 68 having hand-holds thereon which may be grasped by the operator. The hub 69 encircles a sleeve 71 which is loosely mounted on the end 72 of the shaft 35 and is held thereon by means of a nut 73. This sleeve 71 bears at its forward end against, a roller bearing 74. The hub 69 is detachably secured to the sleeve 71 by means of two screws 75. Vith this construction the hub and its arm 68 can be readily removed from the sleeve if desired. I have shown in Fig. 1 a platform 76 on which the operator may stand while manipulating the device. The head 52 is of novel construction and comprises a body which carries a plurality of swinging frames each having mounted thereon a plurality of toothed cutting disks. The body is shaped to present a plurality of transversely-extending flanges 3, 4, 5 which are connected by the longitudinally-extending webs 6, 7. These flanges and webs are preferably made integral with each other. The cutting disks which operate to cut the scale from the boiler tubes in the usual manner, are designated by 8, 9. The disks 8 are carried by frames 10 of the shape shown in Fig. 10, and these frames are pivotally mounted upon rods or pins 11 which extend longitudinally of the device and are supported in the flanges 3, at. The cutting disks 9, are arranged at the end of the-device and are mounted on pins 26 which are sustained by the flanges 4, 5.

Referring now to Fig. 10, it will be seen" that each of the frames 10 comprises two end pieces 13 connected by ahub or sleeve 14 and also having extending between them av pin 15. The pin 15 has the disks 8 loosely mounted thereon and the pins 11 which support the frames extend through the hubs or sleeves 14. Each frame is of a length to be received between two of the flanges 3, 4, as shown, and it is loosely mounted on the pin 11 so that it can swing thereabout. The swinging movement of each frame is limited by the projections 16, 17 formed on the end pieces 13, as clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 10. These projections each are adapted to engage the webs 6 of the body. The projections 16 serve to limit the inward swinging movement of the frames, as shown in full lines Fig. 7, while the projections 17 serve to limit the outward swinging movement, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 7.

One of the principal features of the invention relates to a construction that permits of the cutting disks being easily removed. This end is accomplished by the manner in which the supporting pins 11 are held in the flanges and the manner in which the pins 15- are sustained in the frames. The pins 11 extend through the apertures in the two flanges 3 and the forward end :1 said pins rests in recesses or sockets 2O 1' yormed in the flan, e lsaid sockets extending only partially through the flanges, as plainly seen at the point in Fig. 6 where the flange 1 is broken out. The pins 11 are held in place by means of a nut or collar 22, which is screw-threaded to the hub 23 of the body. \Vhenever it is desired to remove any one of the frames or any one of the cutting disks in any frame, the collar 22 is unscrewed from the hub 23, when any one of the pins 11 can be removed from the flanges, thus permitting any one of the frames to be taken out. The pins 15 are loosely sustained in the end pieces 13 of the frames and when the frames are in position, said pins are prevented from moving longitudinally of the frames by flanges 3, 4: between which they play. When any one of the frames is removed, however, the pin 15 therein can be readily withdrawn, thus permitting any one or all of the disks 8 carried by the frames to be removed. The parts can readily be assembled, as will be understood without further explanation. The cutting disks 9 are also capable of being readily removed from the device without cutting any rivets or otherwise destroying any parts, These cutting disks are loosely supportedon the two inclined pins 26, which are supported in the two .flanges 4, 5. The pins extend through the flange 5.and set into sockets 27 formed in held in place by the nose-piece 29, which is provided with the screw-threaded projection 30 that screws into the flange 5 and is also provided with the base 31 that covers the ends of the pins 26. By unscrewing the nose-piece 29, either of the pins 26 can be readily removed, thus permitting the cutting disks 9 supported thereon to be taken out, and the parts can be readily replaced, as will be evident without further description. It 'will be seen that any one of the cutting disks can be readily removed from the device without cutting any rivets and by simply unscrewing either the nose-piece 29 or the collar 22.

The nose-piece 29 is preferably rounded on its end so that it will readily enter the boiler tube to be cleaned.

The device is operated in a manner similar to other boiler tube cleaners; that is, it is inserted into the tube to be cleaned and is then rapidly rotated. As it is rotated, the frames 10 swing outwardly by centrif ugal force, thus bringing the cutting disks 8 carried thereby against the interior of the boiler tube, whereby the said boiler tube will be cleaned in the usual manner. The disks 9 being supported by inclined operate to give the boiler tube an initial cleaning as the device advances into the the cutting disks 8.

The device is supported by a shaft 35 by which it is rotated and the shaft may conveniently have thereon a guiding sleeve 36 of substantially the same size as the interior of the boiler tube and which operates to steady and guide the device as it Works its way through the boiler tube.

I claim:

In a boiler tube cleaner, the combination 10 with a body having separated flanges con nected by Webs, of pins sustained by said flanges, frames situated between the flanges and pivotally mounted on said pins, and cutting'disks sustained by theframes, each frame having projections at its front and vrear ends to engage the Web and limit its swinging movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE A. LUFKIN. 

